Vancouver can be a real jungle sometimes, with bald eagles, coyotes, black bears and even whales making appearances in the city’s beaches, forests and backyards.

But perhaps our rowdiest (and smelliest) visitors from the wild kingdom are the California sea lions that take up residence on the Steveston jetty in Richmond each fall and stay until late spring.

There are still approximately 50 sea lions – all males – lounging on the jetty right now, according to a great article in the Vancouver Sun. Though they’re not visible from land, you can spot the gentle giants via boat or on an ecotour. They’re hard to miss, in fact, weighing in at more than 300 kilograms and measuring more than two meters.

Inside Vancouver is a multi-author blog, written by Vancouverites about Vancouver. Our goal is to give an insider’s view of Vancouver, to provide information, stories and opinions from the locals’ perspective about this great city.